A LOT will be judged in the European Court of Human Rights in 2009 regarding the property issue in Cyprus
In a closed meeting yesterday, the House Legal Affairs Committee was briefed by Attorney-general Petros Clerides over how pending cases at the ECHR and European Court of Justice (ECJ) – involving appeals by Greek Cypriots whose properties have been exploited in the occupied areas – were going.
Committee Chairman Ionas Nicolaou of DISY left the meeting with an evident feeling of deflation.
“Of course, I cannot announce publicly what was discussed, only that it seems that as more time goes buy, things are becoming more difficult for our side,” Nicolaou said after the meeting.
He added, “2009 will be a year when much will be judged with regards to what we have known until now and this applies to generally all cases pending at the ECHR”. The passing of time, said Nicolaou, “unfortunately, seems not to serve our case. It appears that in 2009, very serious issues for our country will be discussed.”
The DISY deputy claimed it was a myth that Turkey could be cornered by the ECHR. “These past few years have shown that instead of our case becoming stronger, rebates are being given [to Turkey].”
Despite persistent questioning by the media, Nicolaou refused to comment further.
“I understand your anxiety; we are all anxious, but by saying too much, we could damage our cause,” he explained.
Nicolas Papadopoulos of DIKO was equally pensive: “The less said about these issues the better,” he said, before giving away that “it is a fact that there will be new developments in the next few days.”
Papadopoulos disagreed with the view that the ECHR could not influence Turkey. “My opinion is that the legal pursuit of justice for our people is very important and one of the few weapons we have to exercise pressure on Turkey,” the DIKO deputy pointed out.
“These cases are significant, but we all know the Cyprus problem is not a legal matter but a political one,” Papadopoulos added. “We have decisions that are very positive for our side. One very important thing we have achieved is Turkey’s obligation to answer to the ECHR. This is a strong weapon for us and we need to make the most of it.”
